Mutiny or Misconduct
by Ivy-Tree Life
Summary: A sudden incident among the 104th training squad starts to raise Eren's suspicions, leaving him wondering who is left on his side and whether he can risk trusting his superiors in the matter. AU where the 104th squadron is set up at a separate base. (LevixEren) Warning contains swearing ,may contain smut in later chapters.
1. Training Session

Disclaimer: I don't own any attack on titan characters or settings and any content is not canon to the current story line.

Hey! This is my first uploaded fic any tips or constructive criticism would help loads as I have no clue what I'm doing.

-This is another update to fix this chapter.

.:-:.

Relentless summer heat stifled the air and blistered the ground as the 104th scouting legion members trained, their leather boots making clouds of dust with every movement. In the middle of this haze Eren stood poised, tense in wait of the next attack from his partner. Krista kicked out mercilessly a smirk prominent on her face, despite her size she could fight better than most. Not for the first time Eren was thankful that Ymir kept her in check most of the time. She swung round and lashed her fist out towards him, his reflexes fought for him snapping out, grabbing and twisting her arm. Shock registered on her face before the pain hit, sending her to her knees.

"What happened?" Ymir had appeared out of nowhere, quickly Eren let go a dark stain of sweat remained as a hand print on her uniform.

He turned away from the couple and looked around the vast courtyard, Armin was sat in the shade of the castle deep in discussion with Commander Erwin, probably plotting battle tactics or new regimes. Eren's head snapped round as a loud thump echoed around the arena. To his delight Mikasa had completely floored Jean and stood over him impressive as ever. Upon seeing Eren she strolled over leisurely nodding towards his gaze.

A smile slides on to my lips. "Nice work on Jean." A small smile lingers on her face at my comment.

"I aim to please" the smile lighting up her dark face as she shifted her hair out of the way.

"Poor Jean, beaten up by his one true love" Over the light breeze I hear a yell in reply

"SHUT THE HELL UP YOU LITTLE SHI-"

"HORSE FACE"

Thankfully Marco pulled him away before it could get any worse, exhaustion had crept up on me after the adrenalin of the fight had subsided. I doubt I would last two minutes in a fight at this rate.

"Hey Eren are you OK? You look kind of pale" It was Armin I had been so wrapped up in thought I hadn't even noticed him.

"Yeah just a bit tired I guess I haven't been sleeping well or something." Mikasa looked livid at my words

"It's because you're in a basement for god's sake, no wonder you can't sleep it's practically a miracle you haven't caught a disease by now!" she trailed off, obviously this was a touchy subject. I thought about replying but Armin shot me a look that made me stop.

"Let's take a break, I think the heat is getting to us." Mikasa gave him a death glare but willingly followed us to the shade of the castle.

The whole squad it turned out, had taken time off fighting and were waiting for the merciless sun to sink below to skyline. With Erwin returning back to the castle and Levi absent from the session the usual tense atmosphere had dissipated and light banter had taken hold. Berthold and Reiner were sat atop the wall their long legs still scrape the ground, scuffing the toes. Krista, Ymir, Connie and Sasha had huddled round, sharing anecdotes and jokes. They gladly widened the circle as we approached, Armin sat next to Sasha while Mikasa and I perched on the nearby rubble. Armin had been right there is something wrong with me, I had dealt with exhaustion before, and hell even going days without sleep hadn't left me as messed up as this. Before I could register what was happening my vision blurred, darkness gathered at the edges. The world swung wildly and the floor felt like it was caving in. I fell back and met unconsciousness, a black abyss.


	2. Cracked Plaster

Disclaimer: Language

.:-:.

The sharp sound of footsteps ricocheting of wood dragged me out of my slumber, waking up was my first big mistake as my head swam, it felt like it was Mikasa's training dummy. I collapsed back onto the dull bed, half-heartedly trying to piece together where I was. Finally my curiosity got the better of me and I wrenched my unwilling eyelids open, fumbling around for a few seconds before managing to sweep the sleep out of my eyes. My eyes focused on the room, the walls were as bare as my prison cell, and the minuscule window however was a vast upgrade from my usual surroundings of bleak stone and metal bars. The tiny amount of silvery light that seeped through the window slowly darkened and offered me the barest snippet of the night sky. I felt a deep pang of nostalgia as I realised it had been so many months since I had sat with Armin and listened to him name the millions of constellations, his eyes lighting up with his burning passion for knowledge. The night sky dragged a more pressing question to the front of my mind. If it was night, how long had I been out for? The creaking of the door snapped me out of my thoughts as Hanji burst through, slamming the door against the wall hard enough to leave cracks in the plaster.

"OOPS!" She kicked the door closed with an ear shattering bang. She finally looked round the room and noticed I was up. "EREN! You're up, why didn't you say anything?" Despite knowing Hanji for some time her craziness never failed to surprise me. "Wait does that mean you saw the door fiasco?" Her face shifted as she looked behind her despite having slammed the door shut behind her. "Pleeeeease don't tell Levi, he'd fucking kill me!" Her expression broke my last reserve and I burst out laughing. My laughter must have reassured her as an ecstatic grin was soon plastered on her face. "When did you come round?" she was pushing my wrist to take my pulse.

"Umm, about ten minutes ago mayb-SHIT" Hanji had decided to pull my arm, jerking my head forward and leaving my head feeling worse than ever.

"SORRY! I got a little bit carried away!"

"I'll say" I mumbled back in return.

"You seem OK but you'd better stay in bed for the rest of today." She glanced at the clipboard on my bedside table, but my attention was elsewhere, her words had reminded me of my previous questions.

"Hey Hanji what happened? How long was I out for?" The questions came out like a flood, my mind eager to know what the hell had happened.

"Well, we're still deciding the answer to your first question, maybe sunstroke? On the other hand you've been out for a grand total of two days, nearly three." She hummed absent mindedly before coming to a sudden realisation. "Oh yeah you should probably eat something, hold on I'll be right back" before I could reply she was gone, door left ajar in her wake.

Thoughts churned over in my head, trying to form coherent timeline of what had happened. I sighed and tried starting from the beginning, put simply I had collapsed and remained out cold for nearly three days. A disturbing thought came to mind, he had none of the symptoms of sunburn. He was the son of a doctor, and knew healthy people don't collapse for no reason this left two options either he was suffering a serious fever or more likely he had been drugged.


	3. Serch for Eren

Hey to anyone who still bothers with this. I'm not dead! Anyway all apologies about the *cough cough* four month absence.

-small update to the title cards.

.:-:.

Levi:

Damn, this castle is just a hive for spiders. My hand brushes through more webs causing miniature clouds of dust to appear in their absence. "Tsk..." As much as it pained me the cleaning would have to wait, Eyebrows had listed getting set up as top priority which would explain why I was hastening through this neglected castle to find a certain brat. Stopping to lean out the eroding stone arch I finally caught a glimpse of the group, Amin and Mikasa stood aside from the group their worried looks visible from here. A sigh rushed out from between my lips, where was Eren? Those two are always with him surly they would know. No point in delaying the inevitable. The whole squadron tensed as I approached but my attention was on the faces of his friends, more specifically countering the ice cold glare of Mikasa. What the hell pissed her off? Never mind, not my issue right now.

"Captain" begrudgingly left Mikasa's lips.

"Mikasa, Armin do either of you know where Eren is?"

A quizzical look from the blond made me guess something was up

"You mean…you don't know what happened?"

I shot him an upturned eyebrow, prompting an explanation.

"Um well Eren collapsed and...Well we think he's in the medical rooms but he's not been out in three days…it's put everyone on edge"

Well shit.

"Thanks for the details, I'll contact you if you can visit him."

The words earned a relived smiled from Armin and a relaxed look from Mikasa.

Thanks to that brat I'm royally screwed. Finding Eren means coming into contact with four-eyes but not finding this goddamn brat means dealing with Eyebrows and he's been secretive enough already.

Tsk. Shitty glasses it is.

"LEVI!"

Oh dear lord

I turn around slowly already bracing myself for her oncoming attack.

"Levi it's been AGES, why do you never visit me? I've got so many experiments planned and Erwin's being a meanie and saying they're 'too dangerous'" a disappointing look spreading across her face.

"Hanji I neither care nor have time to hear about your deadly new experiments." My foot already tapping impatiently…

"HOW CAN YOU SAY YOU DON'T CARE!?" debris fell from the ceiling, cracked from her sudden outburst.

"Look I need to find Eren before this goddamn meeting with Eyebrows, he's supposed to come too." A look of worry passed across her features alerting me of even worse possibilities. "Yes I'm aware the brat collapsed why else would I be in the medical department?"

This seemed to ease her spirits a bit, thank god. I don't want to spend the rest of my day cleaning up plaster.

"Oh, OK! He's pretty stable right now but he shouldn't go back to training for a while… Anyway follow me!"

And with that she was off darting down the corridor her ponytail swaying madly behind her.

"Here he his…." She stood proudly in front of a shabby looking door, shabby just like the rest of this damn castle it's a good job we aren't here for too long. Before I could ask her anything else she was already barging into the room a loud thwack as the door hit the wall acting as her greeting.

"EREN! How've you been?"

As she launched into a barrage of medical questions I slipped in quietly, remaining near the door. The room was small, with just enough room for the bed against one wall, a small bedside table and a miniscule window opposite the bed. Nothing on Erwin's temporary quarters. Hmph at least it's cleaner than the rest of the castle. Eventually my eyes were dragged to the figure on the bed, Eren was sat upright his focus on Hanji, as the questions slowed down his bright eye started wandering around the room. All of a sudden his eyes fell on me, causing a small jump. Tsk the brat hadn't seen me come in. As his focus turned to me his eyes slowly flicked up to meet mine.


	4. A Meeting?

-just an updated and slightly improved version

.:-:.

Eren:

For all the attributes Hanji has discreet is not one of them. She never fails to be the centre of attention, the whole room seemed to revolve around her the moment she barged in, glasses gleaming and voice a tad maniacal. After no introduction she launched into her seemingly endless mental list of questions, though some of them were less than the average medical questions.

After being in bed for a solid 3 days it's no wonder my attention was quickly lost on her endless babble, I glanced around and…

SHIT

When the hell did Levi get here? He must have come in with Hanji. Anyway why was he here, as far as I can tell he never bothered with visiting Hanji unless he had to so maybe he just got dragged off with her? But then why would he bother coming in this cramped room…

As questions churned around I dragged my eyes up in an attempt to meet Levi's again, hopefully this time I looked a bit more composed. His cold eyes could the steel they seemed to be made of, his expression a sharp mix of boredom and curiosity, with one eyebrow raised questioningly in my direction.

"OK! That's just about everything. You should be good to go." Hanji had finally concluded her report and looked over, almost worried despite her overzealous way of talking. Levi shot her a look of impatience. "OH RIGHT! I forgot to mention, Levi said he had something important to sort out…sooo I'll leave you be!" and she was off.

Wait. Why would Levi need to talk to me? The already small room seemed a lot smaller.

"Right Brat, so according to Hanji you should be ok to come with me, Erwin requested we attend a meeting. So get your arse up, I'll be outside." His monotone voice ricocheting off the walls. With that he turned and left, the door shutting smartly behind him.

The small click of the frame snapped me back into action. As I left the bed for what must have been the first time in three days, a grimace contorted my features, gross. Scrambling around the room I was thankful for the box of my own clean clothes, small wash basin and towel, thank fuck. Stripping down I realised that Levi probably would have skinned me alive if I had tried to go with him after nearly 3 full days without a wash. Hmn a smirk twisting onto my face. Levi's cleanliness was well known throughout the scouting legion. You could say he was infamous for it. I mean when I call Armin's room a mess it's probably a bit more like a pig sty than a room but Levi acts like that about everything. Must be a bummer for him. The cool water splashed through my hair washing off the last remaining bits of dust and muck. I set the jug down by the little drain and set about finally getting ready.

Levi:

Tsk.

What the hell is taking that damn kid so long? I could only stare at the filth ridden floor for so long. We're supposed to meeting Eyebrows today not in 3 weeks.

"Brat are you nearly done in there? There isn't even much of a toilet so what the fuck is taking you so…"

Pushing against the aged oak door I entered the room.

Shit.

Eren was mid motion as he pulled on his shirt. His hair still slightly damp appeared messy but surprisingly soft looking in the now afternoon light. As the shock disappeared from his eyes, I mean am I really that hard to notice? An endearing blush coated his cheeks and…Nope not going there today Levi.

Sighing internally I carried on with the hurrying Eren up before we could be any later.


	5. Eyebrows

Levi:

The door that blocked my path was just like all of the doors in this damn castle, gloomy, chipped and aged as fuck.

"They were really dedicated to the whole gloomy castle aesthetic, huh"

Eren piped in with a small smile.

With a small smirk playing on my mouth from the brats input I banged on the door and pushed it aside opening it to the office behind. And into the meticulously organised hell we stepped.

"Commander."

Formal greetings are the worst but someone had to show the Brat the ropes. Eyebrows himself was sat behind the only tidy surface in the room, a large desk and matching chair stood out like an island among the waist high towers of paper and files that Hanji had insisted on bringing. His sitting form the same height as me.

"Levi, Eren. Good, let's finally get this meeting started."

At his name Eren's eyes shot up with the speed of a cat's. Goddamn he was nervous, poor kid intimidated by Eyebrows of all people.

Erwin motioned to some chairs precariously loaded with paper and with a purposely loud 'Tsk' I swept them as clean as I could and sat down. This is going to be meticulous.

"Eren, as you are aware this mission at the castle was a set up for a training camp for you and the rest of the 104th training squad."

A small nod from Eren

"Due to your… Unfortunate incident I'm sorry to say that you won't be taking part in the first expedition as the teams, places and positions have already been organised"

The poor kid looked like he was dying to object, not one to play by others rules then…

"Levi this is the bit that affects you. As I said places have already been organised, including the commanders leading the practice expedition. Due to the change of Eren staying you were moved to station him in case of a titan shift."

"And does this mean the brat will be guarded at all times?"

"That will be your decision as you will be in charge of his safety from tomorrow till the end of the expedition next week". His gravelly voice drawled on. "However it is a command that he is moved back into a basement as soon as his health is stable."

Humph that's as kind as I've seen eyebrows in front of a newer recruit. There's a first for everything I suppose.

"Is that everything?"

A curt nod excused us and he went back to the hell of paper he had stacked everywhere.

Eren:

Who knew a 20 minute meeting could do so much damage?

As I stepped through the mangy door trailing after Levi like a goddamn dog, his voice shattered the silence of my thoughts.

"That went well, Eyebrows is never that nice to a recruit straight off the bat."

"Well? You thought that went well! Were we even in the same meeting? He just told me I can't assist my friends and team on vital practice missions, I have to stay in this fucking castle and to top it all off I'm being shoved back into a shitty basement!"

Well shit. I did NOT mean to lose it in front of my leader.

My voice hitching I turned round in an attempt to apologise only to find him visibly shaking with laughter. Oh god what have I done now?

"Damn it Brat. Don't bother apologising that was the first time I've heard a recruit call out Eyebrows on his pompous attitude. Anyway Eyebrows was saying that you had to move into the basement, nothing about staying there during the day."

"Oh"

Shit now I look like an idiot.

"C'mon Brat we have to move all of your stuff out of shitty Glasses headquarters and tell the other brats what's going to be happening."


	6. Chapter 6

Shit so I completely forgot to post January's so looks like today is a double update. Really sorry about all that.

.:-:.

Levi:

Trailing back through the filthy corridors we head back towards my office. Thankfully for Eren the squadron were taking their break in the courtyard nearest to my office. Unfortunately for me that meant I could not only hear those loud as fuck brats but also see them. Not at all distracting. The corridor finally opened off to the arches of the courtyard, signalling the door for my office. Turning round to face Eren I see him a bit further down the corridor looking out at the rest of his squadron. His face as bright as the sun outside.  
"You can see them in a minute brat. I just need to make sure we know what part of this damn castle you'll be in."  
My tone had him hurrying to catch up with me. Not a difficult feat considering how damn tall he is.

Stopping in front of what I'm sure is the cleanest place for mile around I step into my office, Eren trailing behind me like an overgrown dog.

Eren:

To say that Levi's Office was clean was an understatement. It was the cleanest place Eren had seen in months. Heck he could probable lick the floor and end up with a cleaner tongue than before.

Levi went straight to his desk rummaging through the neatly organised files stacked there.  
"Shit." Levi's curt tone punctuated the silence. "I'm going to be a bit longer than I thought, Erwin's taken my plan of the castle. You'd be better sorting out the situation with your friends, I'll stop by when I'm done so we can pick up your stuff."

"How long do you think you'll be?"

"Probably about half an hour, so you'd better hurry up."

And with that I was out the door and back in to the grimy corridor.

"Eren! My god where have you been!" despite having only been in view of my friends for a second I was already under siege from Armin. Mikasa looked like she was almost smiling. Quite an achievement.

"Ok I don't have much time but I'll explain what happened to you guys." My statement had both of them following after me with anxious looks. We headed to the quieter side of the courtyard away from the rest of my friends.  
"Eren, you'd better explain what the hell happened! We've been so worried." Coming to a stop I could look at Mikasa properly, I could see the dark shadows under her eyes and the harsh set of her jaw. In short she looks like she's been through hell.

"I'm really sorry but I'll have to give you the short version of it, as I said. Not much time."  
"Just get on with it."  
"I was passed out for two days and according to the meeting I just escaped from I won't be on the first mission."  
Armin looks at me again and I know exactly what he is thinking of. "Why did you pass out in the first place?"  
Shit.  
I can't tell them the truth as Mikasa would probably hunt down Erwin to get an explanation and she can't afford to be kicked off the course just for me. Armin would help but there's no way he could help when he's away on the mission.  
"Hanji said it was a complication of sunburn or something."

Thankfully Mikasa interrupted before Armin could question me further.  
"What did you mean when you said you didn't have much time?"

"Well as I'm not going to be on the mission Erwin is being forced to move me into a basement in case I shift into a titan, Levi's also been taken of the mission to stay and 'guard' me."

Mikasa didn't take this very well, to say the least. "I just don't trust him. I mean we barely know him."

Can't argue with that.

"Hey Eren, is that Levi over there?" Following his gaze back to the other side of the courtyard, I can just make out a raven undercut from the shadows. Speak of the devil.

"Shit I have to go, but I'll see you guys real soon ok? Tell the rest of the squad if you want."


	7. Chapter 7

The grass crumpled softy as I headed back across the courtyard to Levi's shadow in the stone archway. "Were you waiting long?" Despite everything I was still testing the waters, I didn't want to end up with extra duties because I offended him.  
"Quite the contrary." The walls that had once seemed so foreign now passed by as we made our way to the cadets' dorms. Glancing around to my right I saw Levi's far arm had what looked like a folder tucked under it. Curious.  
"Well you'd better lead the way, I don't know what room you sleep in."  
Looking away from Levi back at the doors I saw we were by the southern division's rooms so not far off. "Three down from here, the one with a massive gash in the wood."

Levi:

Yeager's room was not the most unpleasant thing I've ever laid eyes on but it definitely had room for improvement.  
"Sorry, with all the training I've barely had time to sort out what I brought with me."  
"I'll live, and now that that shitty meeting is out the way we've got a while."  
The room was pretty basic, the bed and washstand took up most of the room and whatever space was spare was strewn with clothes and anything from the couple of days before he was put in the med ward. Why was he in the med ward? I mean I know he collapsed but that seemed a bit off.  
"Anything in particular that I need to take?"  
"Anything you can't spend a while without I suppose." This kid better have a sense of humour or this was going to be a long chore to take care of him. Deciding to break the silence that had formed I stepped towards him, he was rummaging through some of his clean clothes with his back to me.  
"Hey Eren, Why were you in the med bay?" His shoulders tensed so briefly that if I hadn't been looking I would have missed it,  
"I collapsed after training." His voice was almost as blank as mine, all his previous energy had dissipated instantly. Clearly this was a touchy subject.  
Placing a few books inside he picked up the box full of his stuff. He briefly looked round at the now barren room.  
"Ready to go, Levi."

Eren:

Damp corners, gloomy shadows and stale air.  
"Luxurious." I remarked as I moved around my new room, if I could bring myself to touch the nasty brickwork I could nearly reach the edge of my 'bed'. It was easily the nicest of the cells available, two had caved in ceilings complete with pools of water that I'm pretty sure had started their own eco-system and the handful of other cells either had blocked water pipes or the cell was even smaller than this one. Maybe it would have been big enough for Levi, he's certainly small enough.  
Snickering I headed towards the far end of the bed in an attempt to hide my growing smile from my superior leaning in the doorway.  
"You can come in you know, I don't bite."  
"You know exactly why I'm not stepping in there you brat."  
I roll my eyes as I turned back to face him, "And where would the cleaning supplies be?"  
"You son of a-"  
And with that he turned and left, from down the hall I could hear the distant order of "You stay here."  
Boy is he fun to annoy.


	8. Chapter 8

**Hey guys, hope you enjoy and sorry about this chapter being so long.**

Eren:

With Levi gone the emptiness of the cell was deafening, even his monotone was better than this. Gently putting my box of stuff down on the 'bed' I started rummaging around the room, checking for rot and damp seemed like a good place to start. The job kept my hands busy but let my mind wander. God, this day had been crazy, although Levi wasn't as insufferable as I'd first thought, heck I'd go as far as saying he'd been borderline pleasant. Something of a rarity. Bending down I began pulling out the draws of the bedside cabinet to check in there, halfway through checking a draw a thought made me freeze. When had I started calling him Levi to his face? It's always Corporal or Captain, and why didn't he correct me? Having finished checking the cabinet I knelt down and started looking under the 'bed', not the most dignified position but I'd rather know now than later if my bed is going to collapse. Hmn. Maybe He'd never particularly minded? No wait I'd seen him quip at Jean for calling him that, god that was funny, so why was it suddenly okay? By this point I had finished checking over the cell, altogether pretty mould-free, though it could definitely do with a clean. Good job Levi did go to get those supplies. Speaking of which where was he? It shouldn't take nearly an hour and a half just to get a few supplies.

Levi:

The store room was just as I had left it, Pros: Everything was where I left it and was easy to get to, cons: that means no one else will have bothered with cleaning. Sighing I stepped inside, at least it wouldn't have the humiliating task of asking someone to reach something for me. The store room was small, made even smaller by the lines of shelves that now held an array of cleaning materials. From leather razors for sharpening blades to old fashioned mops. Ducking round the shelves it was easy enough to gather supplies, a mop, duster, clean bedding and any other basics. My mind wondered back to why I was getting these materials. All so the damn jail cell was habitable. Thoughts of the cell eventually led back to the question that had been on my mind for a while, why was Eren hospitalised? Hanji didn't give me an answer when I had first set out to find him, meaning Eren probably didn't have a clear idea earlier. Tsk this is just sending me in circles. Stepping out of the supply room back into the filthy corridor I was greeted by Petra.

"Let me guess Erwin wants to see me again?"

"Hey! Did it ever cross your mind that maybe I wanted to chat?" Her tone playful. Maintaining eye contact, I coked my eyebrow, clearly I didn't believe her.

"Although you are right, He did sent me to drag you off to another meeting, something about plans and he sounded pretty insistent so I've been told to get you there now."

I could feel my resentment build up, but Petra wasn't who I was annoyed with, I'd save my anger for when I got to the damn meeting, rather than shooting the messenger.

"Hey Levi why are you carrying around that lot?" indicating to the small pile of cleaning product under my right arm.

"Eren's been moved after some bullshit and I have to set foot in the disgusting jail cells, these are to make it less disgusting." It was annoying that I couldn't be more specific, but if Eyebrows wanted her to know she would have been told.

"Oh is he waiting on them?"

"I guess so." That was Petra I suppose always thinking about everyone else, she's way too good for Molbit. But whatever makes her happy.

"Do you want me to drop them off while you're at the meeting? I know Erwin has a tendency to go on a bit." Wrinkling her nose in annoyance.

"Could you? I've got a lot to talk to eyebrows about and I wouldn't want the damn brat spending the night in the filth, let alone me having to go in there."

"Sure, He's in the cells right?"

We'd finally arrived at Erwin's station and as I got to the door I turned to say thanks and give her the supplies.

"It's a shame about the cells but hey maybe Eren can get it to your standard." She grinned as I knocked and stepped into Erwin's office.

"Levi, I apologise for calling you back so soon an-"

"Damn right." His glare rivalled my own, hopefully this would be over quickly.

"More to the point Levi, we've received reports from the military police and such that there has been a rise in people dropping post or going vigilante."

Ha, they critic us for our order and it's their men that are breaking rank. "Where do we come into this?"

"The Higher ups have requested that after these missions we have a meeting with them to discuss the growing problems."

"And why the hell did I need to know this now?"

"Because you are expected to come with me and provide evidence from our side that our squadrons don't have drop outs."

Tsk. "Fine." Great another task as well as taking care of Eren, speaking of which Erwin might know about what happened to the brat.

"Erwin, why was Eren put in the medical bay? If he needs medication it'd be easier to get before Hanji was off on the mission."

His blue eyes flicked away from mine briefly, "I believe Hanji listed it as a complication of being in the sun for too long, so no medicine should be required."

Bullshit. But at this point I just have to go with it. I turned leaving Erwin to his mountain like piles of paper work and headed towards the cells, thinking none stop.


	9. Chapter 9

**Just a notice before hand, I'm so sorry this is late the computer I store the documents(chapters) on was in repair and took longer than expected. Uploads will continue as close to schedule as possible. Thanks.**

* * *

Eren:

Petra showing up had been a godsend, not only did she have the supplies but it gave me a break from awkwardly dancing around Levi. She even had the curtesy to explain where he was and why it would be a while before he got back. Heck she made the room brighter just by being there, and at least she didn't give me insults every five minutes, endearing or not.  
"Hey Petra, you must be going out on the training expedition right?"  
"Hmn" Her head swivelled up to look at me, her soft hair bouncing in the light. "Yep, since Levi can't join us I'll be in charge of my own set, instead of being the usual second in command" She bit her lip, clearly this wasn't what she had planned originally.  
"Hey. Listen you're a great leader and don't let anyone tell you otherwise, you're one of the most caring and open leaders we have and god knows it's nice to be able to talk with your leader without getting the vibe they're going to bite you." Petra smiled clearly she knew what or rather who I was on about. "Levi isn't that bad once you get past his emotionless scowl" She tried so hard to keep a straight face but to no avail. Once we were able to make eye contact with each other without snickering I picked up the conversation again,  
"Well I think I may have gotten somewhere with that already…" She shot me a questioning look, prompting me onward. "Well, earlier I made him laugh so I gue-" And at that Petra nearly tackled me to the, thankfully clean, floor. Gripping the collar of my uniform she was surprisingly intimidating for someone so short, I could see why Levi liked her. "HOW? What sorcery did you use?" Her comment had me laughing and before long she gave in too, her serious face dissipating. "But seriously, how? I've been in his squadron for years and I've only heard him laugh like twice and one of them was sarcastically!" Before I could be interrogated any further Petra noticed the lack of light in the cell and with a resounding "Shit!" started getting ready to leave. "Sorry Eren, got to dash I'm going to be late for another meeting. But I WILL head back here tomorrow whenever I'm free, the expedition isn't till the day after so you'd better tell me all about what happened!" And with that she was gone, leaving me with a clean cell and a dwindling source of light.

Levi:

Despite the meeting being rather short by Erwin's standards it was late evening by the time I was heading out towards the cells. Heading down the corridor, I was nearly hit by Petra as she hurried around, "Oh Gosh, sorry Levi. I running late for a meeting so I can't stop, but if you're heading to Eren you might want to pick up some candles or something, there's no light down there!" She raced on down the corridor, despite how late she is, her first priority is others. Well, might as well take her advice, hopefully Eren won't mind me being a few more minutes late.

Eren:

Sitting in my cell, now it was clean and was habitable it felt alright to call it mine, the light from the corridor, the only part of this building to have windows, slowly dwindled. For the first time in a long time it was peaceful, and my thoughts could run unchecked. After all there had been a lot to think about. Most of it was the usual worry for my friends and my future both as uncertain as ever. But there was a bit more this time, the worry of why I had been drugged, I was sure of it at this point. But that wasn't what had been bothering me the most. My thoughts were most tangled up about Levi. I'd be lying if I'd said it was the first time he'd been in my thoughts but it was with a new light. Why was he so relaxed around me? The dropping of titles, heck even making him laugh was apparently an achievement. The thoughts churned around as night settled in and still no answer surged forward.


	10. Chapter 10

**Hey guys! Sorry about the slightly later upload. Actual plot progression happens and other stuff I guess... Enjoy.**

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Eren:

Slumping down against the wall, I stared out through the cells barred wall and into the corridor. Hopefully the sun would stick around a little longer, its soft orange was barely visible through the window. Though I could definitely do with some sleep, I probably have bags under my eyes that rival Levi's. The cell certainly felt less empty now, the bed to my left was habitable and now the fact it took up most of the room no longer seemed domineering. The cabinet to my right now no longer stood empty, although I wouldn't count on it to hold my weight. I was pulled back to the reality as I heard the not so distant sound of the wooden door that was miraculously still standing, and led into this block of cells. As the clack of boots on the stones came closer it was accompanied by the soft glow of a candle. Levi? Sure enough the pinprick of light was held aloft by the one and only.  
"That floor doesn't look comfortable from up here."  
"I think you'd be surprised, and besides from here you almost look tall" I was surprised a person so obsessed with cleaning could give a look that dirty. And with that he pulled open the barred door and finally stepped inside my cell. Well I'd certainly put enough energy into cleaning it, I doubt I would last five minutes on my feet. Heading over Levi placed the lit candle down on the cabinet briefly while he took some unlit candle sticks from under his arm. Finally I pushed myself to my feet, just as we started to need the candles. Its glow casting parts of the room into shadow. Despite placing the candles on the table I could still see something under Levi's arm, a book? Before I could ask he'd started to walk back into the slightly more spacious bit of the cell, near the end of my bed, well I'd barely call it a bed, it was still attached to the wall with a think chain. What kind of prisoners were they expecting? Either way I'd be spending a few nights here, speaking of which…  
"Hey Levi, where will you be sleeping?"

Levi:

I mean it was a perfectly valid question, I had forgotten how little Eren knew about me outside of battle.  
"I won't be."  
His brow furrowed at this, he really didn't know. He moved forward, his body becoming clearer as he neared the candle light. His eyes still stood out, bright with inquisition, even in the half light.  
"Eren, I have insomnia, believe me I won't be sleeping much anytime soon."  
It seemed hollow in the atmosphere of the room, harsh words in the soft light. The same light that glowed from my hand, the same light that outlined Eren's soft face and angular features, the same light that had him stood ridiculously close to me, even in this small cell. So close that our bodies would collide if I took a half step forward.

Eren:

Levi had insomnia? I mean it fitted like a final jigsaw piece, the tired eyes, how he was always one of the people on night watch and how he could go days without sleep like it was the norm. It is for him. His pale skin looked even more inhuman in the strange glow that surrounded us. His eyes caught in the naked flame glinting like silver with all the hardness of steel, his hair sunk into the darkness, matching the enclosing darkness to a T. The onset of night caused my body to finally catch up. I had been right, I had barely lasted five minutes. My hand reached up to stifle my yawn, causing Levi to break away from whatever thoughts he was having.  
"You need to get to bed brat, you don't need sleeping pattern like mine."  
I hummed in response as I searched through my small pile of clothes until I found my worn out clothes that now served as my pyjamas.  
"Eren I'm going to fetch a chair, I doubt the ones left here could take any weight without breaking. This time I shouldn't be gone for more than ten minutes."  
"You sure about that?"  
"I might just take the candle with me for that."  
"Hey!"  
He set it down on the edge of the cabinet with a smirk before setting off out the cell, leaving me to get changed.


	11. Chapter 11

**So I removed the 'Eren:' 'Levi:' thing as it felt too awkward, however if it gets confusing just point it out and I will edit to make things clear.**

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"Hey Levi, when's the mission? You'd think it would've started by now." Levi had come back with what he deemed a suitable chair. By this point night had really set in and the darkness seemed just a bit too enclosing. Talking helped, well it helped more than thinking about how he was currently sat in a bed well away from the rest of his squad. Speaking of sleep, my god this day felt like it had lasted eight months.  
"Well the day you collapsed, was when you brats where meant to be briefed on the mission, so you could leave a day or two later, then because you collapsed the whole layout had to be moved around, to cover for the new blind spot in the formation. The new formation was decided and briefed two days ago, while you were still out, so knowing Erwin they should be leaving tomorrow."  
"Huh" So much for stopping by to see Armin again, he's probably had some ideas about what happened.  
I had given up on the idea of staying up any later, despite how many ideas and questions remained. Lying down properly I could barely glimpse the corridor, where Levi was, He'd stopped pacing finally and now leaned against the wall, mostly shadow in the poor light.

Eren had passed out pretty quickly, not surprising really. Still, It must be nice, sleeping instead of impossibly long ours staring at the ceiling. Speaking of witch the ceiling here had finished serving as a place for eyes to wander, refocusing I drifted for a bit, looking around but not taking in. Thoughts of the mission came to mind, stirred on by Eren's latest question. Erwin was suspicious of something. I was used to the paranoia you earn from being high in the survey corps, hell I had it to, but this was different, something had changed. The thoughts dissipated as a new noise wormed its way into my subconscious, Eren was breathing heavily, fitfully seemed more appropriate. I picked up the candle, heading towards the bars that separated us. They were never locked but that didn't stop me from feeling helpless as he struggled. Silence dragged the seconds by as I waited to see if he would go back to sleep or things would get worse, if it was the tail end of the fever it would be horrific to try and get Hanji here, worst of all I'd have to leave the brat alone. I couldn't handle the thought of him waking up to an abandoned cell and empty silence. Sitting back on the chair, I waited. The blankets shifted as he fought against something unknown to me. Finally he bolted upright, panting and frankly looking like he was about shit himself. When he stopped looking past me and reality set in he slumped back sighing.  
"Fever dreams?" he hummed back, leaning in and supporting himself on his elbow he replied properly, his voice cracking with sleep.  
"You could call it that."

I wondered whether it was worth it, to just tell Levi about what had happened. The drugging, the cover ups, what had been said. After all, I was going to be spending at least three nights near him and these nightmares aren't easy to hide. I lent forward, sitting up and moving around so my back was against the wall but I could still see Levi. He was still sat in the chair, his eyes still stood sharp in the almost darkness. I would trust Levi with my life on the battle field but this was something else, a step in the dark. So I opened my mouth and began my story.  
"It wasn't my fever dream" my voice was still horse from sleep, cracking and gruff. The silence was my cue to continue, I stared off upwards and tried to explain.

"Levi, were you ever told why I was in the hospital?"

"You collapse in the heat while training" his tone was inquisitive.

"No."

"No?"

"I don't know what Hanji or Erwin told you but I bet it was something along the lines of heatstroke. Except I never had any sunburn, my blood pressure never wavered and heatstroke would never cause a two day coma."

I left my statement floating in the darkness and turned back to face him. He was focused in the floor, I waited for his expression to clear and when his gaze met mine, hardened with resolution, I continued.

"I know I was drugged, but by who and why still remains unknown"

"And why the hell shitty glasses and fucking Erwin kept this from me." His anger flared, nobody like feeling distrusted, especially when you have lives riding on the trust between you and your peers. I waited, the dark cell slowly shifting in and out of focus as time passed. Finally there was a soft clink as the barred cell door slid open and Levi entered, holding the now stub of a candle briefly aloft before setting it down on the edge of the cabinet. Even with him leaning against the opposite wall we were practically touching, the size of the cell never failed to surprise me. His lips shifted briefly before deciding on his words.

"I need your agreement but how we could get Hanji here to not only explain but to test you to see if there is any remnants of the drug left." His words took a few seconds to register but he raised a valid point.

"Now?"

He shifted a bit at that, clearly he was still wide awake.

"Wouldn't Hanji be getting up early tomorrow, like at dawn? We could 'borrow' her early in the morning before anyone has a chance to get her attention and work from there."

His eyes shut briefly in concentration, he was definitely one for plans.

"Sounds good. Now rest the hell up, I need you on form to help with Hanji tomorrow." He grimaced at the thought. Ha, at least tomorrow wouldn't be boring. Levi seemed distracted chasing thoughts, so I just turned back and settled back in bed, after all dawn was fast approaching. At first I faced the wall but that proved uncomfortable, so I fell asleep with the image of Levi, playing on my retinas.

Eren was more observant than people gave him credit for, sure he was hot-headed as hell but when it came down to it he knew people more than most. Ugh that sounded way to soft, and besides there are more important things to focus on right now other than how he keeps finding ways to get under my skin in the most distracting ways, like how in fucks name I was supposed to get Hanji out here without arousing her or Erwin's suspicions. It's going to be a long night so at least I'm not pressed for time. With a last glance at Eren I headed back into the corridor intent on a battle plan.


	12. Chapter 12

Levi had left during the night, I should've guessed it would drive him crazy to wear the same clothes for nearly a day. While his new uniform looked as immaculate as ever, although his hair was definitely something else. It stuck up in places, ruffled from running his hands through it. We probably matched with equally messed up hair. Swinging my legs out to get up proved to be a mistake, my feet touching the freezing stone floor, if Levi hadn't seen me get up before he had certainly heard my not so quiet language  
"Shit, that's fucking cold"  
"At least you're up." He'd gotten up and wondered into the corridor, probably to look out a window or something.  
"Your sympathy astounds me" I mumbled back, trying to reach my shoes from under the bad without getting up off it. At least the boots were big and easy to slip on. I might as well get dressed, Levi probably wanted to grab Hanji pretty soon and I was not having Hanji at my bedside again anytime soon. I pulled the cupboard door open, with some resistance, and looked at what little clothing there was. No point in wearing the uniform, unlike Levi I didn't have a job to do. Picking up my loose shirt and the closest I had to comfy clothes I turned to put them on the bed and started getting changed.

I'd originally felt bad for heading out in the few hours Eren had slept, but looking out at the sky proved it had saved us the precious time we would need to talk to Hanji. Looking back down the corridor I could just see my chair and the soft glow of the stub of a candle, still I'm glad I was here when he woke up. Thoughts churned about the 'plan' we were going through with, what if Hanji couldn't help, what did it mean for the Scouts and what if Eren has side effects or- No this is getting me nowhere, and standing around is just wasting time. Turning away I headed back toward the cell, hopefully the brat hasn't gone back to sleep, although he had gotten woken up-Shit. Eren was pulling his shirt, of course he would start getting change, I was gone for a while. God why can't I fucking think about these things. Turning away I headed back down the corridor. Leaning against the wall I was considering screaming into the void, but I settled with desperately trying to cool my face down, at least it's still a bit dark Eren might not notice. Why does this keep fucking happening to me, I swear I am one accidental walk–in away from losing it. Thank fuck Hanji isn't here. I try warming my voice a bit before talking, I'd never live if it fucking cracked right now.  
"Eren, you ready to go?" I've wasted enough time, this is more important than some stupid crush.

Levi seemed to know the way to Hanji's room surprisingly well, considering we've not been at the castle very long. I was fed up of this silent walking, trying to stay out of people's way, there was no one around to begin with, hardly anyone bothered to get up before breakfast was ready and that wouldn't be for a few more hours. So why not lighten the mood a bit, I caught up to Levi's pace and leaned in so I wouldn't get hit for being loud.  
"So d'you go to Hanji's often?" My tone heavy with implications.  
His look was almost worth getting tripped up.  
At least I don't have to worry about them flirting, although I'm not sure why that would bother me so much, Sasha gets flirted at by Connie all the time and that's never bothered me be-DOOR. I should pay more attention when I walk, it's not really a statement of good health to walk straight into doors. It's certainly not helping my reputation with Levi.

That stupid shit, why the fuck did I have to like someone in the first place, let alone someone that walks into fucking doors and purposely tries to tease me. With a sigh I pushed him to the side and knocked on Hanji's door. At least I know she'd be awake, the real question is if she'd be in a suitable state. Before I could warn Eren, the door opened and Hanji stood, thankfully clothed, behind it.  
"LEVI-"  
Before she could go and wake the whole damn castle up, I grabbed Eren and pulled us into Hanji's room. Letting go of his hand I closed the door and turned to explain myself.


	13. Chapter 13

All things considered it took a surprisingly short amount of time to get Hanji to calm the fuck down, Levi must have quite a bit of experience considering how long they've been friends. Does make you wonder how someone as outgoing and loud as Hanji became friends with Levi to begin with. Leaning against the wall I took in the room quietly, Levi was explaining our situation and Hanji's face was somewhere between confusion and being goddamn ecstatic, at least she'd definitely try to help. The conversation faded to more closed whispers and Levi signalled me to come over.  
"Eren there's some shit you need to know, and before you start at me I was in the dark about this too." He gestured to Hanji who was fidgeting like crazy.  
"HEY don't put it like that! I was under direct orders, I couldn't say anything!"  
"Tsk, direct orders haven't stopped you before."  
"Sorry, what the hell are you two on about?"  
"Well Eren, I kind of had to lie to you about what happened…"  
"Fuck's sake just explain to him what's really going on."  
She cleared he throat and after yet another glare from Levi she started explaining.  
"When you collapsed we knew something was off… the whole sunstroke thing was as you obviously figured out was just a cover and well Erwin put me up to finding out what was really wrong."  
By this point I was torn between bitching at her because she had known this whole goddamn time or staying silent so I'd finally get some answers. I hummed, signalling for her to hurry up.  
"It took us a while to find out what had caused you to, y'know pass out and well from what Levi said, you guessed correctly. It was a drug, Bupivacaine, if you're interested. But while the effects of it are considered 'long term' it would have only kept you out cold for 9 hours at most, so well…"  
My head was whirling at this, How could they? "You kept me sedated, didn't you!"  
"Eren I had to! After the attack and Erwin found out he ordered me to keep you unconscious in order to keep you off the mission!"  
"That bastard."  
"That shit-bag"  
Me and Levi looked at each other, at least I wasn't alone in my outrage.  
"Why the hell did he want me off the mission?"  
Levi spoke up, stopping Hanji,  
"Because he thinks this is more than just an attack on you, that this was an attack on the survey corps."  
"Eren if you went on the mission, you'd be at a much higher risk of being attacked and this time they might actually succeed in abducting you, you're safer staying at the fort with Levi."  
Whatever Levi was going to add to that was cut off by a loud knock at the door, franticly Hanji looked around before shoving us through to a side room, before shouting something about what the hell do they think they're doing coming around so early.

The room, as it turned out, happened to be a cross between a storeroom and a pigsty. If Levi thought Hanji's 'main room' was bad it had nothing on the piles of notes that we sent scattering as we tried to manoeuver silently in the miniscule space. I hope to hell that Hanji's visitor would fuck off quickly because I was currently flattened against the wall with Levi pressed against me. Every step to the side risked moving more paper and making an unignorably loud noise.  
"Fuck's sake Eren just stay still, we'll just have to fucking wait like this"  
Shit. I'm not claustrophobic but damn was this closet of a room making me feel like it. And Levi pressing against me wasn't doing any favours.

Way too many minutes later Hanji finally showed up to get me and Eren out, The look on her face when she saw us was haunting to say the least, shitty specs knows more than she fucking lets on, that's for sure. Back in the main room we sorted through some final shit, at least Eren was a bit calmer this time. We took the precautions of having Hanji walk Eren to the breakfast hall, to stop suspicion and I would leave Hanji's room a little after them to ensure Erwin wouldn't catch on just yet. At least the waiting time gave me a chance too cool the fuck down before I had to see the Brat again, god that storage room was torture, surrounded by him and being so fucking close I could feel his chest move. Fucking hell this crush just keeps getting worse. How the hell am I supposed to last nearly a week with just him? Shaking my head in a vain attempt to clear my thoughts I set off toward to hall. This hunger wasn't helping anyone.  
The hall was surprisingly full, of course everyone would be up on time, today was the mission. Groups gathered around the few tables that cluttered the room, most just leaned against the walls, balancing their food in their hands. In the corner I could see the familiar brown hair of Eren, leaning against a table with Petra and those other friends of his, Armin and Mikasa? Either way I didn't have time to think about joining them before an annoyingly familiar voice piped up. Breakfast with Hanji it is then.

Despite the situation I had to hand it to her, Hanji is a good actress. As soon as we left her room she dropped any trace of seriousness and adopted her usual happy-go-lucky tone, chatting away at me about a fake prescription to help with some 'illness' or other. By the time we reached the hall I was joining in. With a nudge and a wink she was off, leaving me to grab some kind of food and finally get to stop for a second. Looking at the person ahead of me I was pleasantly surprised to see Petra, usually she eats later than me because of her boyfriend. Claiming a table, we started chatting and my god did it feel to have a 'normal' conversation.  
"So how was your first night in the dungeons?" I smirked back at her,  
"Oh it's delightful, you know the damp really makes it homely."  
"What about the company?" There was something else in her voice, a polite implication.  
"Levi? He's not terrible, he even managed a couple of conversations, although neither of us lasted five minutes without being sarcastic."  
"Ha! It's nice to see Levi's got someone to match him on that, I think you staying with him will be a good thing, might finally break away some of that harsh exterior."  
"Holy shit, can you even imagine him being as smiley as Hanji?"  
"Oh my god, No! That's so creepy."  
"What's so creepy?" Armin had arrived and set down his breakfast.  
"Oh me and Petra were just chatting about Levi, since I'm with him all week."  
He quirked his eyebrow and smirked at me, "First name basis already? It's only been a day."  
Breakfast is going to be fun.


	14. Chapter 14

The first day of the three day wait was hell. Going from a constant rush, always dodging around people to stony corridors and empty silence had me on edge. Even stranger was the way Levi was suddenly more…affectionate? Obviously despite our situation we spent most of the first day making the grounds 'habitable' as Levi put it, maybe it's his company rubbing off on me but I could see where he was coming from. I was in my most worn clothes, spending the morning with a mop and bucket, the afternoon with a duster. Levi dropped in quite frequently, more so than usual, maybe it was that I was the only living thing in 10 miles that could hold a conversation, but his demeanour said otherwise. He seemed to relax, or at least seem to care more about what I was doing. There's something about him. Before he had seemed so far, an unreachable idol, but now I was seeing glimpses through his façade and there was something under there that pulled at my curiosity. Like I said, there's something about him.

Stopping I leaned against the now dust free windowsill, the room felt so different from when I had first came in, the wallpaper looked a soft yellow rather than a musky grey. The afternoon sunlight no longer trapped by dirt and grime. This was, no is, Sasha's room. The lack of people in the place made it feel like a graveyard at times. I had been pretty hesitant about the whole privacy thing but after being forced to deal with Hanji's room there wasn't much left that could shake me. Pushing forward I left, closing the door behind me. Thankfully I only had to clean the rooms being used, I imagine if Levi could he'd be helping me clean the whole station. We're both obnoxiously determined I suppose. At the moment he was probably in his office, writing a report, something for Erwin. No wonder he was taking so many breaks. He was still mad at him, it was a huge breach of his trust. Maybe I could talk to him, he hadn't come to find me in a while and I sure as hell had nothing better to do.

Erwin's report could go and eat shit. I was three hours in and I was barely done with listing the basics about the recruits of squadron 104, let alone the superiors. It's a good job I have two more days, I'd better not run out of ink. Glancing at the clock I realise it's barely been an hour since I last took a break, still I can already feel the onset of a hand cramp. I wonder if I could procrastinate further by dropping by to see Eren again, at the very least I'd get to see the state of the castle. Although it would be much more interesting to run into him, it certainly wasn't getting the report done or helping my intrusive thoughts. I leaned back in my chair, annoyed at how fast Eren could derail my thoughts. I mean at first it had just been a crush at how good looking he is, the sharp eyes, the thin build. But now the last few days had just worsened it, his smile seemed to loop in my head, the way he shared my fucked up sense of humour, how strong he feels for everything. All of it is not helping in the fucking slightest. I mean Christ he might not even swing that way, let alone be interested in me. Once again it all came down to a stupid crush that had been given way too much material to work with. Shaking my head I leaned forward, no matter how boring the work was at least it kept me from acting any further on Eren.

Levi's room was easy to find, I could follow the route of clean rooms if I needed to. I paused at the door, are we really on close enough terms that I can just go to his room? I mean he spends the night in mine but that's a different scenario. God Armin would never let me live it down if I phrased it like that. Without another second thought I knocked on the door.  
"Eren?"  
I took that as an invitation, I mean who else would it be?  
The room hadn't changed much since I was last here, there was still work in neat piles all across the desk, with the map still pinned to the wall. Although now he had a small clock on the table next to the door. Surprisingly Levi seemed almost glad for my company.

"I'd offer you a seat but the one from here is in your room and I wouldn't trust and of the others." He looked tired, well more so than usual.  
"Fair point, I don't feel like having a chair give out under me."  
He had gotten up from his work desk and was fiddling with a screen at the back of the room, collapsing it against the wall he revealed an clean but unused bed.  
"Pretty sure this is slightly less shit that the floor"  
"In all fairness they look equally clean"  
He half smiled at that, off to a good start then. 


	15. Chapter 15

"Can I even ask what the report is about?"  
I leaned down to tug my boots off, rather than have to clear up the dust I would track in.  
"To anyone else it's a general report about our squadron… for you it's more proof to get the military police off our backs"  
tucking my boots into the corner, I tried not to look at him. Why the special treatment? Either he's that aggravated by Erwin, enough to risk giving me information I wasn't meant to know, or just maybe…  
Looking up I see the hesitation in his eyes. He's really trusting me on this. I'm sure I'm smiling, fuck it I know I'm grinning. Despite the seriousness of the subject, the sentiment is so much more.  
"That would explain why you're so hesitant to finish it"  
He looks at me then, and whether consciously or not, he fucking smiles back at me. Holy shit.  
"That and this castle is like a fucking ghost town"  
"At least it doesn't look like one anymore. Can't say I don't enjoy company though"  
His head flicks up at that, looking back at me. Damn that came out a lot weirder than intended. Quickly moving boots to the corner I step past him and try not to think too much about how badly he could take that. If Armin ever finds out, I might as well be dead. I try to settle on the bed as Levi starts heading back to his desk.

This is it. He might have well as shot me. Looking up at me with that sincere smile and fucking blushing too. God working with him right there is going to be torture. Why did he flirt back? Was it flirting? How is he legally allowed to do that? If this continues I'm not going to last three days.  
Snapping out of it I realise he's moved to sit on the bed and that I should stop hanging round the door like some fucking creep.

Half way through writing a new account, his voice pipes up again, cutting through the silence that had slowly built up.  
"Why me?" He's locked eyes with me, his eyes clouded with thoughts.  
"I mean, you're going to need to be more specific Eren, I'm not telepathic" I wasn't willing to make the wrong assumption here, especially if I had read this wrong.  
"I mean… why trust me with all of this? Surely someone like Mikasa would be better for this, someone more like you."  
His voice was quiet, broken almost. The demands of comparing yourself to others settled deeply in his expression.  
Though confusing I could see why he'd say that, we're not exactly akin to each other. He's more open, wearing his heart on his sleeve. The embodiment of hope and all the demons that hide at the edges. A different world to me.  
"Eren, I chose to trust you, not anyone else, because I know you. And there's no one else I'd rather have stood by me. Besides I would never trust someone like me. Erwin is just further proof of that." 

Nodding in a way that didn't stand for anything he leaned back on the bad somehow even further in thought. I suppose we're both different in physical appearance too, everything from stature to how we greet people after all he's not exactly known for giving 'death glares'. None the less here he was, sat on my bed, something I refused to even dream about a week ago.

The night came faster than expected, the hours had passed in deep thought and the scratching of Levi's pen. I had suggested I collect the cleaning supplies and meet him in my room, giving him time to pack up. As I left I glanced at the amounting pile of paper, his work from today.  
"You should leave the work here, it'll bleed you dry."  
"Sounds good to me" smirking at me as I left.  
Leaving made me realise the different kinds of silence, as the warmth of a shared comfortable silence closed off behind the door, leaving me with only the cold empty silence.  
Gathering the supplies was monotonous, the had slowly spread out over several rooms as I had stopped using them, as I retraced my steps I made sure to make a mental note to keep them together next time. As I headed down the stairs toward the storeroom on the way out, I looked back, it felt strange to see how the place had subtly changed with only a clean, even in the pale evening light the corridors looked better, rustic rather than ancient. Speaking of years of support instead of threats of collapse. Leaving things as close to 'the right place' as possible grabbed some more candles and left, heading out into the darkening day and towards the block of cells. At least this time there was no standard for tonight, I doubt things could get worse than having a nightmare and discussing drugging. Pushing the heavy wooden door open I stepped into the too familiar corridors for another night. Toward the back I could see the faint glow of a candle and the shuffling of boots echoed down to me, growing louder as I passed the cells we had deemed 'uninhabitable' in our first scouting of the cells. He exited at the sound of me coming closer, using a brass holder with the remainder of the last candle to fight off the encroaching darkness.  
"Glad I restocked" I wave, gesturing with the new candles.  
"Good I was going to be bored out of my mind I wouldn't have been able to read"  
As I got closer I could see the pile of books he'd placed on top of the only thing close to a table in the cell block, the cabinet/bedside table thing I was currently storing my clothes in.  
"Doesn't it seem a bit pointless to have your chair outside the room, when the only surface clean enough for you to put your books on is in my room?"  
"Technically it's your room, and I'm hardly a fan of breeching privacy."  
I stepped past him entering my room and gesturing to him,  
"well consider yourself invited, and bring your chair in too"


End file.
